You aren’t getting married soon. You probably aren’t even engaged. And yet many of us find ourselves spending several hours of a day dreaming about our fairy tale moment.

Planning your own wedding can be very exciting. But often, the excitement wears off once the reality of actually having to plan the wedding hits. Mood swings and hair-pulling frustration are common. And in spite of you trying your best to keep your nerves calm, you are going to turn into bridezilla; at least once.

Vogue turns to the expert squad to bring you styling, make-up, nutrition and planning tips from the very best in the business. We promise, the pre-wedding bustle isn’t as stressful as you imagine once you have the know-how.

Wedding venueLocation is one of the most important things when planning your nuptials. Start thinking about the kind of wedding you want: is it a beach wedding, a palace wedding, a destination wedding or a simple traditional ceremony? The all-important task is picking the themes and booking the picture-perfect venue for the back-to-back days of merrymaking. “Location is of primary importance and factors like climate, the time of the year play an important part when making a decision. When planning a destination wedding, one should start planning at least a year prior to the day; this is because we Indians tend to choose months that coincide with peak tourist seasons, and so hotel bookings and venues need to be looked into in advance,” says Vandana Mohan, founder, the Wedding Design Company.

Fitness firstIt is never too early to start working towards getting that perfect wedding body. “From the word go, you should start working on your fitness regime, because once that is done half the battle is won. Clothes start fitting better, making your ensemble look better,” says sports nutrition consultant, Kinita Kadakia-Patel. Energising exercise routines not only help you stay in shape, but also bring a little natural blush to your face giving you that wedding glow. Steer clear of crash diets though. “Desperate times call for desperate measures. Most brides-to-be often follow dietary fads like a fruit cleanse or starve themselves, which is a big mistake. While this might help them lose weight, it also makes them lose their glow. They look sick rather than fit, and don’t have the energy to enjoy their own wedding,” says Patel. A nutritionist will help you figure out the perfect plan for your needs so that you can reach your body goals in a healthy manner.

The wardrobeForget cookie-cutter wedding ensembles and opt for something that is quintessentially you. Once your destination and venues are finalized, start putting together a moodboard of looks you would want to wear. “Since the time that you are engaged, start maintaining a folder or a book with pictures of all the outfits that you really like. So when it comes to deciding your bridal outfit, you know the one that truly stands out the most. Avoid blindly following any fashion trends and go for something that is truly you,” says Anaita Shroff Adajania, fashion director, Vogue India.

Beauty bulletinPicking the right make-up artist for your big day is extremely critical. Go through a trial round of hairstyles and looks with different artists, and make your choice six to nine months before the wedding. Plan every look for all the functions, especially for the wedding, to make sure you look dazzling on the D-day. “Ask your make-up artist all the important questions: if a facial should be done; which clean up is needed; which hair treatments should be done. Personally, I tell all my brides not to touch their skin a month before the wedding because it can break out,” says hair and make-up artist, Namrata Soni. Another beauty hack is finding the right lip shade that suits you perfectly. “After the theme and look for the wedding is decided, ask your make-up artist whether your look is going to be lip-centric or eye-centric. A lot of brides are not comfortable wearing a bright pink or an orange lipstick but their artist may want them to wear that colour on their big day. So I recommend the brides to start wearing that particular shade two or three months before the wedding, so that they get accustomed to it,” says Soni.